Durham tax return preparer Laurean S. Robinson, 31, is headed to federal prison for 20 months after admitting she systematically cooked the books for clients, fabricating income from babysitting and caretaking to illegally claim the earned income tax credit. The scheme, which ran from 2012 through 2014, bled the IRS for a staggering $600,737 in fraudulent refunds.
Robinson wasn’t just a lone operator punching false numbers into tax software. As office manager and lead return preparer at Tax Breaks, a now-shuttered Durham tax prep shop, she trained other employees to follow her scam playbook—falsely reporting household service income for clients who never earned it. Her methods were deliberate, replicable, and designed to bypass IRS scrutiny while lining her own pockets.
But the fraud didn’t stop at falsified returns. Robinson demanded cash on top of Tax Breaks’ official fees, skimming extra from clients who thought they were getting a better refund. Those illicit payments—off the books, untraceable—added a layer of greed to a crime already steeped in deception. Investigators say her actions didn’t just break the law; they undermined the integrity of the entire tax system.
The fallout is now official. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder slammed Robinson with 20 months behind bars, followed by one year of supervised release. She’s also been ordered to pay $120,980 in restitution—a fraction of the total damage, but a legal anchor that will follow her long after release.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina made no apologies for the prosecution. Both praised the dogged work of IRS-Criminal Investigation agents who unraveled the scheme, calling it a textbook case of abuse by a trusted preparer.
The case sends a warning to tax prep operations across North Carolina and beyond: fraud won’t fly. Trial Attorney Daniel McGraw of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney JoAnna McFadden led the prosecution, ensuring Robinson wouldn’t walk away scot-free. As federal authorities keep tightening the screws on financial cheats, this conviction stands as another notch in the DOJ’s belt.
Related Federal Cases
- Tax Ghost Nabbed: $2.1M Fraud · North Carolina
- Ricky Costello Williams Sentenced in Tax Fraud Scheme · North Carolina
- Patrick Sutherland Convicted of Tax Fraud, Obstruction · North Carolina
- Wallace Couple Busted in $3M Tax Fraud Scheme · North Carolina
- Tax Fraud Fugitive Ramos Faces More Time · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News